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US Congress moves forward with spending cuts shaped by Elon Musk's DOGE

The vote in the Republican-led US House of Representatives was seen as the first test of how easily Congress could usher into law savings sought by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

By AFP

Published: Jun 13, 2025 03:52:52 PM IST

Updated: Jun 13, 2025 03:56:42 PM IST

(File) President Donald Trump, joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. Image: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP

US lawmakers on Thursday approved a White House request to claw back $9.4 billion from funding already allocated by Congress in a victory for President Donald Trump as he pushes to lock in spending cuts spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

The vote in the Republican-led US House of Representatives was seen as the first test of how easily Congress could usher into law savings sought by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—just days after his acrimonious exit from the government.

But the saved funds—targeting public broadcasting and foreign aid—were unpopular in some sections of both parties, and Republicans in the House of Representatives shoehorned the bill through a razor-thin 214-212 vote.

"Under President Trump's leadership, your taxpayer dollars are no longer being wasted," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.

"Instead, they are being directed toward priorities that truly benefit the American people."

Legislation to grab back money already approved by Congress—known as a "rescissions package"—is extremely rare and no such measure had passed in decades.

The vote was the first in what Johnson has touted as a potential series of packages codifying the cuts made by DOGE.

Musk was tasked by Trump with leading the task force after spending $290 million helping the Republican get elected.

The SpaceX boss boasted that he would be able to save $2 trillion in federal spending—but left the White House under a cloud earlier this month as he feuded with Trump over deficits and spending.

Also read: Musk's advisory stint under Trump: Turning points and tensions

DOGE acknowledges that it has saved taxpayers just $180 billion—and fact checkers even see that claim as dubious, given previous inaccuracies in its accounting.

The recissions package slashes $8.3 billion in foreign aid, with much of that approved for humanitarian organization USAID, one of DOGE's first targets.

The text also eliminates $400 million in funding allocated to health programs including the lifesaving PEPFAR global AIDS program, created by then-president George W. Bush.

The package also targets $1.1 billion to be taken back from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), as well as more than 1,500 local radio and television stations.

Conservatives often accuse PBS and NPR of bias, and Trump signed an executive order in May to cease federal funding for both networks.

"For decades, Republicans have promised to cut NPR, but have never done it, until now," Trump said on Truth Social as the vote got underway.

"NPR and PBS are a Radical Left Disaster, and 1000% against the Republican Party!"

Democrat Dan Goldman and Republican Mark Amodei, co-chairs of the congressional public broadcasting caucus, said cutting the funding will not meaningfully reduce the deficit, but instead dismantle "a trusted source of information for millions of Americans."

The package now moves to the Republican-led Senate, where it needs the support of only a simple majority—51 members—rather than the 60 votes usually required.